


The Titans Curse

by emilyyyy



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 21:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13016037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyyyy/pseuds/emilyyyy
Summary: If you want to read more of my works or see other Rick Riordan content follow me on tumblr- @alxfierroIf you want to see my personal blog and fanart on tumblr- @ephemeralaugust





	1. My Principal’s a Monster!

Ok look, I never expected my life to be this disturbed. And in all honesty- looking back- I don't even know where to start. I'd say when it all began but I don't even know when that is anymore.

And frankly, I can't even remember when it all began. Yep- I can't even remember most of my life.

I guess it began when Percy Jackson walked into my life, but that's just my most recent memory.

Pro-tip kids; don't ever follow Percy Jackson. Don't say I didn't warn you.

So I guess I'll start with an introduction because that seems kind of normal.

My name is Nico D'Angelo.

I'm ten years old. A month ago I was attending Westover Hall, a military academy in Maine where it's run by manticores who want to want to eat you. Not literally, Dr. Thorn never wanted to eat me. I think.

Anyway's- it's always cold in there, and it doesn't help that we have uniforms to wear, shorts with suspenders and button down tops. Complete torture. If I didn't know any better I'd compare to the underworld.

I guess I should start at the school dance. Yet another form of torture in this evil castle I was forced to live in.

Of course, then I thought it was cool. I got to pretend I was training to be a knight, and spend my afternoons playing mythomagic. I was quite a cringe-worthy kid.

So here I am, standing next to the bleachers and punch bowl in the middle of my middle school dance.

"Did you know Kronos has infinite range and defense power?" I tilted the card in my hand excitedly, watching as the strobe light reflected off its surface. If I moved it just right, it would hit Bianca's eye so I'd have her attention.

"Yes, Nico." Bianca snapped, making me stand up straighter. She had that tone of voice that moms would use when they're frustrated. Some sister. "And stop moving the card around so much! I can barely see anything when it gets in my eyesight."

I frowned, and shuffled the cards again, landing with Hades on the top of the deck. His card wasn't nearly as cool as Kronos.

"Are you ok? You seem a bit. I don't know... moody. You're acting like Mildred." I sneered in disgust. "You're not going to get all teen-like too, are you? I think it's gross." I said, watching her face for a reaction.

"No, Nico." She replied her tone not as sharp but definitely agitated. Bianca had her eye's fixed on Grover, again. She was definitely becoming Mildred.

I glanced over at the guy, looking up and down, my eyes furrowed in confusion. He had three new kid's with him. Friends? No. Grover doesn't have any friends.

I shifted my weight onto my right foot as they glanced over. They were defiantly watching us.

I tensed as I felt someone grab my shoulder, making me drop a card, the manticore. I glanced up quickly to see Dr. Thorn standing behind, seemingly interested in us.

"Ah! The Di'Angelo Siblings!" He said. "And how are you to enjoying the dance? I hear the punch is good." Dr. Thorn grinned, a rare sight at Westover Hall.

"I only had one cup of the punch sir, Bianca said it' make my teeth rot," I threw her look. She rolled her eyes in response.

"Yes, well punch can do that if consumed too much," Dr. Thorn said. "Come, let's go," he said turning us around.

I frowned. We rarely got to wear clothes other than our uniforms, let alone have a school dance? I didn't want to leave, I only had one cup of punch so far!

By the time I thought to ask where we were going, I felt his hand around my neck, raising panic in my chest as I looked over to Bianca. Her olive skin seemed even more translucent.

"Hey- where are we going?" I heard Bianca demand. My sister was smart.

She shrieked seconds later in pain, as I watched his nails sink into her neck. Blood.

"Let go of her!" I yelled, throwing my mythomagic cards at him in defense.

Surprisingly it did nothing to stop him from pushing us against the wall.

My eye's darted around the hall for a way out, noticing the other guy with Grover at the dance. He seemed as if he was searching for something or someone.

I watched him take a sword out of thin air. It was like mythomagic.

I remember thinking something stupid then like, 'Maybe he had attack points!'. I can now see why Bianca thought I was such an embarrassment.

I felt as if everything was going to be ok until I saw Dr. Thorn behind him, his nails turned to claws. My headmaster raised his arm behind him, ready to strike.

"My name's Percy." I watched him gulp as if we were his first rescue mission. Little did I know- we were. "I'm going to take you out of here, get you somewhere safe."

I glanced over to Bianca, her fists clenched as she tried to discreetly gesture at Dr. Thorn with her eyes.

WHIIIISH! All I could do was watch as Percy slammed into a wall, a black dagger in his shoulder. He blindly aimed his sword, hitting thin air.

A cold laugh echoed throughout the hall. "Yes, Perseus Jackson," Dr. Thorn said. His French accent mangled the J in his last name. "I know who you are."

Was Percy famous? He sure seemed famous at the time. He looked famous. He looked as if he was about to pass out.

A dark silhouette now moved toward us. Dr. Thorn stepped into the dim light. He still looked human, but his face was ghoulish. His perfect white teeth and his heterochromia eyes reflected the light off Percy's sword like my cards did earlier.

"Thank you for coming out of the gym," he said to Famous Percy. "I hate middle school dances."

How could anyone hate middle school dances? There was punch!

I watched as Famous Percy swung his sword again. It was as hopeless as Bianca winning a game of mythomagic.

WHIIIISH! Another dagger-like thorn hit the wall inches from Bianca's face. I instinctively reached out for her hand in fear.

"All three of you will come with me," Dr. Thorn said. "Quietly. Obediently. If you make a single noise, if you call out for help or try to fight, I will show you just how accurately I can throw."

I wanted to say no, but the minute Famous Percy stood up, I was not about to stay here without any protection.

Besides, he looked like a hero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to read more of my works or see other Rick Riordan content follow me on tumblr- @alxfierro   
> If you want to see my personal blog and fanart on tumblr- @ephemeralaugust


	2. Real Life Mythomagic

I wish I had my Mythomagic Extension pack with me. Maybe then I would have known how to defeat Dr. Thorn.

After that, I and Bianca could go get ice cream with Famous Percy as we designed our hero cards. I'd have unlimited attack points of course.

"What are you doing, Jackson?" Hissed Dr. Thorn. "Keep moving!"

His voice made me step closer to Bianca, my hand making a fist in the back of her shirt. At least she didn't tell me to let go this time. Somehow his French accent made this a whole lot scarier.

"It's my shoulder- it burns," Percy said miserably. I glanced over at him, walking behind me in a shuffle. What kind of Hero was he?

"Bah! My poison causes pain. It will not kill you. Walk!"

We were herded outside the school, marched into the woods. We took a snowy path dimly lit by old-fashioned lamp lights. The wind blew right through my shirt, making my teeth chatter.

"There is a clearing ahead," Thorn said. "We will summon your ride."

I moved closer to Bianca, not wanting to be separated. Maybe he was another lawyer that was going to bring us somewhere again. Maybe we'd go to a better school this time.

"What ride?" Bianca demanded. "Where are you taking us?"

"Silence, you insufferable girl!"

"Don't talk to my sister that way!" I said, my voice quivering. It took a lot of guts to say that one line. Dr. Thorn made a growling sound that definitely wasn't human. It made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, but I forced myself to keep walking and pretend I was being a good little captive.

"Halt," Thorn said. The woods had opened up. We'd reached a cliff overlooking the sea. The waves were so loud I was sure Bianca could hear them over my heart beat.

Dr. Thorn pushed us toward the edge. I reached my free hand into my pocket and grab a hold of my figurine.

Percy stumbled to the edge, and Bianca caught him before he fell off the cliff. "Thanks," He murmured.

"What is he?" she whispered. "How do we fight him?"

"I... I'm working on it." Some how, Percy seemed calmer the closer to the water.

"I'm scared," I mumbled. I fiddled with the figurine, my other hand clenching Bianca's.

"Stop talking!" Dr. Thorn said. "Face me!" I snapped my head up obediently, seeing Bianca and Percy do the same out of the corner of my eye.

Thorn's two-tone eyes glittered hungrily. He pulled something from under his coat. At first, I thought it was a figurine like mine, but it was only an Ameche. He pressed the side button and said, "The package— it is ready to deliver."

There was a garbled reply, and I realized Thorn was in walkie-talkie mode.

Percy glanced at the cliff behind him as if he was debating jumping.

Dr. Thorn laughed. "By all means, Son of Poseidon. Jump! There is the sea. Save yourself."

"What did he call you?" Bianca muttered, meanwhile my eye's lit up. This really was turning out like Mythomagic.

"I'll explain later," Percy said.

"You do have a plan, right?" Percy didn't answer.

"I would kill you before you ever reached the water," Dr. Thorn said, with a knowing look. "You do not realize who I am, do you?"

A flicker of movement behind him and another missile whistled so close to Percy that it almost nicked his ear. Something had sprung up behind Dr. Thorn— like a catapult, but more flexible... almost like a Manticore from the Extension Pack. Exactly like the Manticore.

"Unfortunately," Thorn said, "you are wanted alive, if possible. Otherwise, you would already be dead." How reassuring.

"Who wants us?" Bianca demanded. "Because if you think you'll get a ransom, you're wrong. We don't have any family. Nico and I..." Her voice broke a little. "We've got no one but each other."

"Aww," Dr. Thorn said. I doubted it was genuine. "Do not worry, little brats. You will be meeting my employer soon enough. Then you will have a brand-new family."

I felt repulsed by the idea of having to adjust to yet another new family.

"Luke," Percy said. "You work for Luke."

I knew a Luke when I was younger. I doubt they were talking about the same person. The Luke I new wanted to join the war, not start one- let alone control some evil vice principal.

Dr. Thorn's mouth twisted with distaste when Percy said Luke's name.

"You have no idea what is happening, Perseus Jackson." I had to resist the urge to say none of us did. "I will let the General enlighten you. You are going to do him a great service tonight. He is looking forward to meeting you."

"The General?" Percy asked with a French accent. Maybe it's contagious. "I mean... who's the General?"

Thorn looked toward the horizon. "Ah, here we are. Your transportation."

I turned to the ocean, still clinging to Bianca's hand as I saw a light from the sky hit the ocean, soon followed by loud chopper blades.

"Where are you taking us?" I said. I have never been more confused in my life, and I've moved a total of five times.

"You should be honored, my boy. You will have the opportunity to join a great army! Just like that silly game you play with cards and dolls."

"They're not dolls! They're figurines! And you can take your great army and—" Bianca jabbed me in the side, cutting me off.

"Now, now," Dr. Thorn warned. "You will change your mind about joining us, my boy. And if you do not, well... there are other uses for half-bloods. We have many monstrous mouths to feed. The Great Stirring is underway."

I was getting angrier by the minute with each word.

"The Great what?" Percy asked.

"The stirring of monsters." Dr. Thorn smiled evilly. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction, the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all— the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"

"Okay," Bianca whispered to Percy over my head. "He's completely nuts."

"We have to jump off the cliff," Percy told her quietly, but I could still hear him. "Into the sea."

"Oh, super idea. You're completely nuts, too." Bianca snapped, pulling me closer to her.

Percy never got the chance to argue, because just then we were pushed back by an invisible force. As if today couldn't get stranger.

I plowed to the ground, falling on top of Bianca. "You ok?" I asked quickly.

"Yeah. Yeah, we'll be ok." She responded. Some how- I believed her then. Looking back on it now, I regret ever going to the school dance in the first place.

For a split second, Dr. Thorn was taken by surprise, so his first volley of missiles zipped harmlessly over our heads. Thank God.

I sat up next to Bianca, her hand on my back to keep me from falling. I felt as if everything was happening at once, and it was.

My eye's flickered to behind Dr. Thorn, and I saw the most terrifying thing I've ever seen.

If you think you've seen scary- you're wrong.

Behind Dr. Thorn emerged a girl with short black hair and a leather jacket. She wielded a large shield, with the face of Medusa on the front. I felt the urge to panic and run at the sight of it. Even Dr. Thorn winced and growled when he saw it.

She moved in with her spear. "For Zeus!" I thought Dr. Thorn was a goner. Thalia jabbed at his head, but he snarled and swatted the spear aside.

I cringed as his newly formed claw scraped across the creepy girls. It sounded like an orchestra of cat's clawing chalk boards. Not pleasant.

She rolled backward, avoiding all swings Dr. Thorn sent her way.

I whipped around to see a contraption in the sky I've never seen before. I nudged Bianca and gave her a questioning look in case she knew what it was. She looked as confused as I did.

WHIIIISH. Another set of missiles, this time aimed at Thalia, flew through the air at alarming speed. I watched as she flew through the air and landed on the ground with a loud thunk.

Grover- yes Grover, I was as shocked as Bianca- started playing an upbeat jig on some flute. It sounded like a pirate song, the kind I'd play on the radio when I was younger.

Within seconds, rope-thick weeds were wrapping around Dr. Thorn's legs, entangling him. Dr. Thorn roared and began to change. He grew larger until he was in his true form—his face still human, but his body that of a huge lion. His leathery, spiky tail whipped deadly thorns in all directions.

It was an odd sight to watch, and I pushed back against Bianca.

My vice principal transformed. Into a Manticore. It was real life Mythomagic.

"A manticore!" Annabeth, the invisible force from before, screamed.

"Who are you, people?" Bianca demanded. "And what is that?"

"It's a manticore!" I gasped. "He's got three thousand attack power and plus five to saving throws!"

"Get down!" She pushed us flat into the snow, and I immediately regretted not changing out of my uniform for the dance.

I closed my eye's listening to all the commotion. I heard a THWACK, and a WHOOSH- and soon after- the mysterious flying machine sounded even closer.

There were a thunderous noise and a blaze of light from behind us. I looked back to see a black rocket ship in the air. Of course, it wasn't really a rocket ship, it was a helicopter but I still didn't know those existed yet.

"What is that?!" I yelled. My head twisted back and forth between the fighting and the helicopter.

An arrow soared through the air into Dr. Thorn's shoulder.

He pulled the arrow out of his shoulder with a howl of pain. His breathing was heavy. Percy tried to swipe at him with his sword. Dr. Thorn dodged his attack and slammed his tail into Percy's shield, knocking him aside.

Arrows shot through the woods right into Dr. Thorn. They were girls, about a dozen of them. The youngest was maybe ten. The oldest, about fourteen. They wore puffy silver jackets and jeans, and they were all armed with bows. They advanced on the manticore with determined expressions.

The monster wailed. "This is not fair! Direct interference! It is against the Ancient Laws!"

"Not so," One argued. She was about Bianca's age, maybe twelve or thirteen. She had auburn hair gathered back in a ponytail and strange eyes, silvery yellow like the moon. "The hunting of all wild beasts is within my sphere. And you, foul creature, are a wild beast."

The Manticore growled. "If I cannot have these brat's alive, I shall have them dead!"

You'd think I got used to death threats by now. Bianca yanked me to my feet out of the cross-fire. She pushed me behind her, blocking my path from running to help.

Annabeth leaped onto the monster's back and drove her knife into his mane. The Manticore howled, turning in circles with his tail flailing as she hung on for dear life.

"This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!" And before anyone could react, the monster, with Annabeth still on his back, leaped over the cliff and tumbled into the darkness. (He was a bit dramatic if you ask me.)

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled. He started to run after her, but our enemies weren't done with us. There was a snap-snap-snap from the helicopter— the sound of gunfire. It reminded me of Italy. Home.

A blur of the event's happened next, up to point I could have sworn the big black rocket ship turned into birds.

The Hunters advanced on us. The one called Zoë stopped short when she saw Thalia, the scary one, but I couldn't blame her.

"You," she said with distaste. I wasn't surprised.

"Zoë Nightshade." Thalia's voice trembled with anger.

"Perfect timing, as usual." Zoë scanned the rest of us. "Four half-bloods and a satyr, my lady."

"Yes," the younger girl said. "Some of Chiron's campers, I see."

"Annabeth!" Percy yelled. "You have to let us save her!"

The auburn-haired girl turned toward him. "I'm sorry, Percy Jackson, but your friend is beyond help." he tried to struggle to his feet, but a couple of the girls held him down.

"You are in no condition to be hurling yourself off cliffs," the auburn-haired girl said, as if it was a common activity you could prepare for.

"Let me go!" Percy demanded. "Who do you think you are?"

Zoë stepped forward as if to smack Percy.

"No," the other girl ordered. "I sense no disrespect, Zoë. He is simply distraught. He does not understand." The young girl looked at me, her eyes colder and brighter than the winter moon.

"I am Artemis," she said. "Goddess of the Hunt."

Yep- definitely Mythomagic. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to read more of my works or see other Rick Riordan content follow me on tumblr- @alxfierro   
> If you want to see my personal blog and fanart on tumblr- @ephemeralaugust


End file.
